SWD Grant #5 has been paid!  Pictured below is President Jan Dankwardt presenting the check to Janice Ruge, from the Braille project at Workshop 100 in Sheboygan.  Grant #5 is $6,000 to supply God's word by means of 1,714 plus volumes of Braille absolutely free.

Clerical Shirts Needed. There is a need for clerical shirts for 13 LCMS ordained pastors now leading the flock of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Haiti. The average income for a Haitian is $400.00 per year. Pastors often are not paid and struggle to feed their own families. All schools in Haiti charge tuition, whether it is public or private school. Many of the pastors struggle just to have their children receive an education.

Clerical shirts in black, white, and gray with neck sizes of 15, 15 1/2, 16, 16 1/2, 17 and 17 1/2 are being collected for shipping to these men of God struggling to spread the gospel in Haiti. The shirts will be sent to Haiti with short term mission teams traveling there from many LCMS congregations from Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and New York. What a gift we can give these servants of the Lord by collecting new or slightly used clerical shirts for them.  Please contact Human Care chair Barb Kaun to arrange donations.

District Mites Update.  

District goal for the 2008-2010 biennium:  $195,000. 

Needed per month: $195,000.00 divided by 24 Months = $8,125.00

Needed to date: $8,125.00 times 11 months = $89,375.00

Used toward mite goal: Mites, Memorials/Celebrations, Selle Interest

Overage to date: $1,772.49

To God be the Glory.

Camo Quilt Project Needs Our Help!  The ladies of the Camo Quilt Project advise that they have over 200 quilts to make for overseas service men and women before July 1 and they need our help!  Do you have a few hours to donate?  If you don't sew, there is also a need for people who can press bindings and pin quilts.  What an honor to be able to provide this simple comfort to those serving our country overseas.   More information

Financial Assistance Now Available to Attend District LWML Events! With the principal base of $25,000 having been reached in our SWD LWML’s “The Love of Christ” (TLC) Fund, we are now able to begin distributing the interest, in the form of scholarships, to SWD LCMS women who may otherwise not be able to afford attendance at retreats and district conventions.

Printer Cartridge/Cell Phone Recycling Changes/Updates. Thank you to everyone for saving and collecting your empty printer cartridges, cell phones, pagers, PDA's, I-Pods, MP3 Players, Digital Cameras, DVD Video games, portable DVD players, laptop computers, etc. To date we have received $2,330.38 to assist with District Administrative expenses.

The recycling company has just informed us of some changes and reminders:

• Be sure to include the cords and accessories with laptops, I-Pods, MP3 players, digital cameras, DVD Video games & portable players, and PDA's
• New Item accepted:   GPS systems (w/cords and accessories) are now being accepted for recycling
• *Important* Be SURE to ship as many cartridges as possible in the box you ship—AT LEAST 12-14! The more in one box, the more economical it is for shipping!
• Make sure ALL cartridges are in a plastic baggie to prevent leakage!
• Always pack as tightly as possible with newspaper to add extra tightness to fill in the empty spaces.

NOT accepted:

• Toner bottles, toner tubes, fax film, and printer ribbons
• Epson printer cartridges
• Remanufactured or refilled cartridges. Send only the virgin cartridges. The company realizes that it is not always apparent if a cartridge has been remanufactured. Look at the box to see if it notes that it is remanufactured. Several companies refill cartridges—if that is noted somewhere on the cartridge, it is not accepted for recycling. However, if you don't know for sure or question whether it has been remanufactured or refilled, always send it just to be on the safe side.

Linda Ault
SWD LWML Financial Task Force Chairman

For more information, visit the Recycling Program page. 

Welcome to the ladies of our newest SWD LWML Society - St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Union Grove.  Pictured below is SWD LWML President Jan Dankwardt presenting the charter to the group at their zone rally held on May 5 at Good Shepherd, East Troy.  Thanks to Betty Rose and Trish Regula who were instrumental in the formation of this Society.  We look forward to serving Christ with these new LWML sisters. 

Bernice Steffens, Greta Martin, Karol Voigt, Jan Dankwardt, Trish Regula and Jan Bohac.

Pictures from the Young Women's Retreat held in February have been published to an album in the Photo Gallery.  Take a look!

Give This Brochure to Women in Your Church.  A new brochure that serves as a great PR piece for our District LWML is now available for you to download from the brochures section of our Publications page. You may want to give it to a friend, relative, pastor, or anyone who would like to know more about our terrific auxiliary for Lutheran Women in Mission.

You might think of it as a 'one-on-one' encouragement, with facts to pique their interest. It also could be put in the tract rack at your church or on a display table on LWML Sunday.

It could be handed out at a society meeting, zone board meeting or zone rally, with the suggestion that each person invite a non-LWML person to your next event. You can give them the brochure so they can take it home and learn about the LWML before they
come.

The brochure is to be printed on both sides of the paper and then folded into thirds.

Plan to Attend!

 Upcoming South Wisconsin District
LWML Events!

Mark your calendars for Christian fellowship, spiritual uplifts, personal growth and service.

2010 SWD Convention - From the Mountains Come Sounds of Joy!  June 18 and 19, 2010; Wyndham Milwaukee Airport & Convention Center. 

2009 Fall Retreat - October 16 & 17, 2009; Marriott Milwaukee West, Waukesha.  It's all about Him!

2010 Young Women's Retreat - February 5 & 6, 2010; The Lodge at Geneva Ridge, Lake Geneva. 

Zone Rallies

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Marking Bibles - A Good Society Project

      If you or your society would like to mark Bibles for the Milwaukee House of Correction, see details on the "Leaders Info" page of this website. Directions and masters for the Labels A and Labels B are on the Publications Page.

MOST Ministry is in need of tote bags, quilts and eyeglass cases to help spread the love of Christ during short-term mission trips.  Consider adopting a project as a Society or participate individually.  Instructions for all three projects follow. 

Tote bags

• Fabric for tote bags should be sturdy fabric, denim, decorator or drapery fabric.
• Approximately 32" of 44" wide fabric will make one tote bag.
• Bag - cut fabric piece (on fold) 18" h x 16 1/2" w.
• Pocket - cut one fabric piece 12" square.
• Handle straps - cut (2) fabric pieces 30" x 4".

Instructions:

1. Bag piece - at folded bottom edge cutout at each outer edge a section 1 1/2" h x 2" w for forming & sewing bottom corners.
2. Hem top of pocket and sew on right side of bag. 
3. Sew bag side seams and bottom corners - zigzag or serge to reinforce.
4. Form & sew straps - then sew to top of bag while hemming and topstitching bag - two rows of topstitch help reinforce.

Invite Your Community

For this Holiday Event

The Mary-Martha LWML Society of Christ Lutheran Church, Pascagoula, MS, sponsored a successful Nativity Walk-Thru open to the community in December 2006. This coincided with the Pascagoula Downtown Christmas celebration sponsored by the local Chamber of Commerce each year.

Members of the congregation loaned their nativities to display that evening along with a brief history of each set. There were over 30 nativities displayed. Along with the tree lights and greenery, the sanctuary was beautiful.

Cookies, coffee, and hot apple cider were served in the fellowship hall. With the positive comments received from visitors, the LWML looks forward to repeating this event as a community outreach activity.

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More ideas to come!
    "It was really invigorating to lead the zone presidents' (ZP’s) session at the district board meeting in Sun Prairie recently," says Zone Consultant Christine Miller. "All the zone presidents were there and although the meeting was brief, the ZP's shared some great ideas for stimulating interest in zone activities."  Chris plans to share them periodically on the website - so watch for more helps. 

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Vicar Runs 'Miles for Mites'  

 Our vicar ran in the Milwaukee Marathon and congregation was encouraged to contribute to the 'Miles for Mites.'  It was a huge success!!" 

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Do Your Business Last!
    At the recent Senior Retreat sponsored by the SWD, a woman shared with an LWMLer why she had never joined the LWML - after working all day in a responsible job, she didn't want to spend her evening at a meeting that focussed mostly on business (especially long debates on whether to buy a refrigerator for the kitchen or what should be done during the kitchen cleaning this year).
    The LWMLer was from St. Paul's, Brown Deer. She then shared that their monthly society meeting begins with refreshments at 7 p.m., followed by the speaker or program at 7:30. The business meeting concludes the evening, and women who do not wish to remain for the business portion may leave after the program.
    "If the LWML in my church did that, I'd join!" said the woman.
     NOTE: Another option used by some societies is to empower the Executive Committee to make all but the most major decisions, thus eliminating the need for a business session at most meetings. Minutes and treasurer's reports can be printed and handed out, so they don't have to be read. If your church has mailboxes for each family, reports can be distributed via the mailboxes shortly after each regular and/or Executive committee meeting. 

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Zone Rally Fun:  Have a Picnic!

     As Zone Consultant Christine Miller met with Linda Christensen of Zone 19 and her board in Muscoda, WI, they they came up with a great idea for their fall rally -- a picnic to be held at a local park in Platteville. The whole family will be invited! In addition to Bible study and music, there will be games for the children and a Servant Event, which will include collecting school supplies to be delivered to a local charity. 
    "Doesn’t that sound like fun? I can’t wait to hear how it turns out!" says Chris.
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Plan Big!
     I drove across the state to attend the ABLAZE! Convocation in September 2005.  My reason for going was not particularly inspired;I  was looking for something to do while my husband was out of state n a trip.  
     But God intended it for good...In one of the keynote presentations, the speaker pointed out our tendency to plan overly carefully and conservatively, even in mission.  He said that we should Plan Big!  and set large goals--goals large enough   that when they were accomplished it would be evident to all that God had done it.  That one thought stayed with me.
    The next week I attended our Society Board of Directors' meeting. We were discussing how we could support Pastor John Reinke's deaf ministry.  A sum of money was suggested as a gift; this sum represented a reasonable estimate of the money we expected to collect with our next fund-raiser.
    Suddenly I recalled the exhortation of the ABLAZE! speaker and issued his challenge.  Our Society President, Kay Conzemius, caught the vision and promptly made a motion to double the amount of our gift to Pastor Reinke, without knowing if we could raise that amount anytime soon.  
    Our annual craft and bake sale took place recently.  Soon afterward I received a telephone call from President Kay:  "Did you hear how much money we took in?"  I learned to my delight that we had taken in more than the doubled amount we sought for Pastor Reinke!
     The Lord is so patient with us.  He honors our baby steps of faith and wants us to be sure of the abundance of His love.  We can be confident that He will give us what we need to serve Him.

                                     Lisa Kerr
                                     Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Women
                                                 Onalaska -  Zone 18  ____________________________________

Holiday Extravaganza
To Benefit Mites
    A zone in the Atlantic District LWML is planning a Ladies Holiday Extravaganza at the beginning of November at one of its churches. This will be a day of "eating and shopping" – two enjoyable pastimes. They will have outside vendors for shopping and a hot catered lunch. Each society in the zone is encouraged to support itself by having a table to sell their home-made crafts, new items, old items, etc. All profits will go towards mites. Vendor registration is open to anyone in other zones in the District.

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